Talking Box Saves Lives | Says N-O To O-Ds

According to the CDC, more people die each year from drug overdoses than car accidents — and 70 percent of those deaths are caused by legally prescribed medication. Kaleo, a pharmaceutical firm, hopes it can change that. It’s creating a device called Evzio, a small, easy to use drug delivery system that can safely administer a life-saving dose of naloxone. This device could save the lives of thousands of patients who have been prescribed legal opiates to treat pain. Not sure how to use it? Don’t worry about it: it talks.

Typically, anti-overdose medications need to be administered via injection — but that’s not practical for home use. Many patients are afraid of needles, and the process of properly filling and using a syringe isn’t exactly user friendly. That’s why Kaleo equipped its device with not only clearly written instructions, but a voice: Evzio verbally tells users how to use it properly. It sounds a little unconventional, but the company says it paid off: trials with the device showed that 90 percent of patients will be able to administer a life-saving dose correctly without having ever seen it before. Best of all, its not something patients will have to wait long for, either: doctors will be able to prescribe this at-home solution as early as this summer.